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Monday, January 31, 2011

New Restrictions Coming to State House

Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said the culture of corruption isn’t the only thing that’s changing in the Alabama Legislature.

A culture of chaos in the Alabama State House is also about to change starting with the new legislative session.

In a joint press conference Monday, Hubbard and Marsh said that they are working on ways to streamline access on the fifth and seventh floors were lawmakers meet to relieve hallway congestion for safety.

Hubbard said during the December special session a new House member was harassed and barricaded in an office by opponents of a bill that was being considered.

“We want to know who is back there, especially after Tuscon,” Hubbard said.

Marsh said there have been times when he’s gone back to his office and found six lobbyists waiting on him.

“Anyone who goes down the halls (knows) it’s chaotic,” he said.

Marsh said he and Hubbard are looking at ways to restrict access to the fifth and seventh floors on Tuesday and Thursday starting this session. Next year, after some reconfiguring of the third and fourth floors to create more meeting space, restrictions could come for Wednesdays too.

Marsh said the public and lobbyists would still be able to get to legislators, but it would be done in a more organized way such as setting up appointments. He said the public won’t have to make an appointment a month in advance.

-- posted by Markeshia Ricks

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2 Comments:

Blogger Publius IX said...

A ridiculous and transparent excuse to limit the Constitutional rights of citizens to petition their legislators for redress. You have to go through a metal detector at the main entrance to get to the fifth and seventh floors, so all this talk of Tuscon should be sent up to Auburn for experimental use as fertilizer. It's funny, for all the supposed outrages the Democratic-controlled Legislatures perpetrated, they didn't have to hide from their constituents like this.

January 31, 2011 at 4:34 PM  
Anonymous Harrison Kenny said...

This is aa great post

October 11, 2023 at 1:52 PM  

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